Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-02-08
THE TRUE STORY OF NAZIPPA.
Leading Facts In the Life OF the Rider
Celebrated In Poem, Painting and the
Drama.

Leading FActs In the Life OF the Rider
Celebrated In Poem, Painting and the
Drama.
A portrait OF Mazeppa, painted from
life has been discovered at kief, In South
ern Russia, aud Is being engrave by the
Russian aca .emician. Demery Row.
kosky.
1t will surprise nearly everyone who
hears that Mazeppa was a real, living
man who could Sit for his porlrait-he
seems so like q purely mythical being.
like Bellerophon or like one OF The ANA
IONS. Yet he va, a real man aad cut
quite a figure In his part OF the world2W
years ago.
John St~ephanovitch Mazeppa was q
Cossack, who made a successful val
upon the savage Tartars who ues 'laled
Southern Russia, driving them back 10
the Caspian.
This 80 recommended him to Peter the
Great that he invited the Cossa X to
his court and covered HIM with houors
and gifts. But when Peter sent him
against the invading Swedes under
Charles XII he betrayed the Russian
and went over with HIS followers to the
enemy.
Peter defeated them both and drove
them into Turkish territory, where,
fearing to fall iato the hands OF h Tor
mer relentless master. Mazeppa killed
himself.
He had before this hidden all the
treasures which he mad amassed in
his wars and through gifts from nose
he had served, In caverns In the hills
around kief. Tue portrait now discov-
cred was probably hidden at this
time.
The incident by which we know him
actually did occur.
He vas BY birth a Cossack. but when
very young IA was sent 10 serve as q
page IN the court Of the Polish King.
There his beauty and bravery Won him
great favor, especially with the la
dies.
With one OF them, the wife Of q
certain noble, he was suspected OF too
great an intimacy and the Jralous hus-
Uaud IN revenge ordered AIM ~ b; uvund
naked 10 the back OF n wI4d morse, that
had never been ridden. The horse was
q Tartar horse, from the SUerpes, and
wnen loosen he rushed madIy back W
his native country with the unwilling
rider bound to his back.
The Cossacks received the Unhappy
youth when nearly dead from exhaus-
lion, and he grew up among them, re-
markaole Tor strength and bravery.
Byron got his story out OF Noitaires
Lille OF Charles ILL.," and worked IL
up iuto his dashing and attractive
poem.
A story so dramatic was at ono seized
upon for adaptation TO the stage n 1t
was p~resenteI here as early as lol5 by
an Englishman named Huu.er. He also
was q very handsome Ma and made q
great stir In the town. lhis was at the
circus which is now the Walnut Street
Theatre.
The picture OF Mszeppa bound TO the
nurses back, which everybody knows SO
well, was painted by Horace Vernet, one
Of the greatest OF French artists. Nernet,
Of course. got his inspiration from Byron,
10 whom We all 1--WE whatever knowledge
We may have Of the brilliant CossacK
rider and soldier.
Mazeppa's real motives for betraying
Peter are not certainly known. The
Poles, who look upon him as a hero,
NAVY Nhes ~ 10y "
view the welfare OF the Polish nation,
and iney point " the fact that he stiP
ulated with the Swedish King for the
indie. endeI ce OF Poland.
III this ct e truth, IL z YES a certain
dignity 10 the act, but the R.s-ian $40 y
rams more IN accord with what other
wise : known oil him. They say that he
wa lei TO 20 over 10 the IN my by the
ulandlshments ola certain Polish prin-
Cess. Thi- would better cor, espond with
the est OF his adventurous, career.
Few men, however. who ale simply
Adventures get their acuons recorded
10y a historian like yoltaire, and cele-
brated 10y u poet like Byron, and painted
by a master like Nrrnet, aud get to be
known b! all school boys ~hD peak the
EngIl-h language, and all this not from
any Let Of uoing, but one Of suffering
melel! .-p"lladelphla Times.